Normally-open backwater valve with suspended flapper

ABSTRACT

A normally-open backwater valve fluidly coupled between one or more discharge conduits of a building, or other location, and a sewage, or drainage, system includes a valve body having a horizontally-oriented fluid flow passageway, a flapper pivotably moveable therein and at least one spacer configured to position the flapper above the lower interior surface of the valve body in the passageway when the flapper is in an open position.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/283,054 filed on Aug. 19, 2015 and entitled “Normally Open Backwater Valve with Magnets” and 62/398,040, filed on Feb. 16, 2016 and entitled “Normally Open Backwater Valve with Magnets”, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to normally-open backwater valves for sewage and drainage conduits.

BACKGROUND

Backwater valves are used in homes and other buildings to prevent sewage backup into the residence or building, such as due to a plugged sewer system, excess volume in the system, groundwater flooding or other causes. Two common types of backwater valves are referred to as “nomrally-closed” backwater valves and “normally-open” backwater valves based upon the normal position of the flapper member that closes off the valve. In many municipalities, backwater valves are required by law. Some jurisdictions require normally-closed backwater valves, while others, such as Canada (presently) require normally-open backwater valves.

Normally-open backwater valves typically include a flapper member designed to be in an open position during normal operation and which closes due to back-pressure in the sewer line. In various presently commercially available versions of normally-open backwater valves, the flapper rests in a horizontal (open) position and is movable to a vertical (closed) position. These valves are designed so that gravity and/or fluid normally moving from the home or business into the sewer system maintain the flapper in the horizontal, open position against the bottom of the flow line. When fluid backflows from the sewer through the valve, the flapper should be drawn up and close. For example, when there is sewage backflow, the backflow and rising level of fluid in the valve body should cause the flapper to pivot up to a vertical position and rest against a flapper seat, closing off the horizontally-oriented flow line in the valve.

In some versions, the flapper may include floatation-assistance components designed to help the flapper rise with fluid in the valve body to assist in the desired upward pivoting movement of the flapper (against the force of gravity). For example, some presently commercially available normally-open backwater valves, such as the “Fullport Backwater Valve” by Mainline Backflow Products include one or more pontoon-like, closed-cell foam members that protrude off the bottom of the flapper, increasing the size, profile and exposed surface area of the flapper.

However, various presently available normally--open backwater valves are believed to have one or more disadvantages. For example, in at least one presently commercially available normally-open backwater valve, debris, waste, sediment, organic matter or other materials can collect or build-up on, or adhere to, the flapper, particularly when it is in the open position resting against the lower surface of the flow line. In some instances, debris, sediment, organic matter etc. collects around, or adheres to, the flotation-assistance component(s) of the flapper. Consequently, the flapper may get stuck in an open position and/or not form a fluid-tight seal in the closed position, causing operational failure, leakage, requiring maintenance or other undesirable result.

It should be understood that the above-described features, capabilities and disadvantages are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope or subject matter of the appended claims or those of any related patent application or patent. Thus, none of the appended claims or claims of any related application or patent should be limited by the above discussion or construed to address, include or exclude each or any of the above-cited features, capabilities or disadvantages merely because of the mention thereof herein.

Accordingly, there exists a need for improved apparatus and methods useful in connection with normally-open backwater valves having one or more of the attributes or capabilities described or shown in, or as may be apparent from, the various portions of this patent application.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In some embodiments, the present disclosure involves a normally-open backwater valve fluidly coupled between one or more discharge conduits of a building, or other location, and a sewage, or drainage, system to allow fluid flow from the discharge conduit(s) into the sewage, or drainage, system and prevent fluid backflow from the sewage, or drainage, system into the discharge conduit(s). The valve includes a valve body having a horizontally-oriented fluid flow passageway configured to be fluidly coupled to the discharge conduit(s) and the sewage, or drainage, system. The valve body includes a horizontally-oriented lower interior surface and at least one at least partially vertically-oriented flapper seat disposed within the fluid flow passageway. A flapper is pivotably coupled to the valve body within the fluid flow passageway and is moveable between at least one open position and a closed position. In the open position(s), the flapper is positioned proximate to and spaced upwardly from the lower interior surface of the valve body and allows fluid flow through the fluid flow passageway. In the closed position, the flapper is in contact with at least one flapper seat to disallow fluid flow through the fluid flow passageway. At least one spacer is associated with the flapper and/or lower interior surface of the valve body and configured to position the flapper proximate to and spaced upwardly above the lower interior surface when the flapper is in the open position(s).

In various embodiments, the present disclosure involves a normally-open backwater valve fluidly coupled between one or more discharge conduits of a building, or other location, and a sewage, or drainage, system to allow fluid flow from the discharge conduit(s) into the sewage, or drainage, system and prevent fluid backflow from the sewage, or drainage, system into the discharge conduit(s). The valve includes a valve body having a horizontally-oriented fluid flow passageway configured to be fluidly coupled to the discharge conduit(s) and the sewage, or drainage, system. The valve body includes a horizontally-oriented lower interior surface and at least one at least partially vertically-oriented flapper seat disposed within the fluid flow passageway. A flapper is pivotably coupled to the valve body within the fluid flow passageway and is moveable between at least one open position and a closed position. In the open position(s), the flapper is positioned proximate to and spaced upwardly from the lower interior surface of the valve body and allows fluid flow through the fluid flow passageway. In the closed position, the flapper is in contact with at least one flapper seat to disallow fluid flow through the fluid flow passageway. At least one flapper magnet, or magnetic material, is associated with the flapper and at least one valve body magnet, or magnetic material, is associated with the lower interior surface of the valve body. The flapper magnet, or magnetic material, and the valve body magnet, or magnetic material, are arranged so that their like poles (or magnetic forces) are facing each other and will repulse one another to suspend the flapper in spaced relationship above the lower interior surface when the flapper is the open position(s).

Accordingly, the present disclosure includes features and advantages which are believed to enable it to advance building construction technology. Characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure described above and additional features and benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments and referring to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following figures are part of the present specification, included to demonstrate certain aspects of various embodiments of this disclosure and referenced in the detailed description herein:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of an exemplary normally-open backwater valve in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary valve of FIG. 1 taken along lines FIG. 2-FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of part of the exemplary valve shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of part of another embodiment of a normally-open backwater valve in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of part of another embodiment of a normally-open backwater valve in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of part of yet another embodiment of a normally-open backwater valve in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of part of still a further embodiment of a normally-open backwater valve in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which at least some preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The inventions of this disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and fully convey the scope of the inventions provided herein to those skilled in the art.

Characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure and additional features and benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and referring to the accompanying figures. It should be understood that the description herein and appended drawings, being of example embodiments, are not intended to limit the claims of this patent application or any patent or patent application claiming priority hereto. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure or any appended claims. Many changes may be made to the particular embodiments and details disclosed herein without departing from such spirit and scope.

In showing and describing preferred embodiments in the appended figures, common or similar elements are referenced with like or identical reference numerals or are apparent from the figures and/or the description herein. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.

As used herein and throughout various portions (and headings) of this patent application, the terms “invention”, “present invention” and variations thereof are not intended to mean every possible embodiment encompassed by this disclosure or any particular claim(s). Thus, the subject matter of each such reference should not be considered as necessary for, or part of, every embodiment hereof or of any particular claim(s) merely because of such reference.

Certain terms are used herein and in the appended claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to a component by different names. The use of a particular or known term of art as the name of a component herein is not intended to limit that component to only the known or defined meaning of such term (e.g. bar, connector, rod, cover, panel, bolt, screw, pin). Further, this document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

The terms “coupled”, “connected”, “engaged” and the like, and variations thereof, as used herein and in the appended claims are intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection or engagement, unless explicitly specified otherwise in one or more particular instances. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections. The terms “including” and “comprising” are used herein and in the appended claims in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Further, reference herein and in the appended claims to components and aspects in a singular tense does not necessarily limit the present disclosure or appended claims to only one such component or aspect, but should be interpreted generally to mean one or more, as may be suitable and desirable in each particular instance.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “elongated” and variations thereof mean having an average length that is greater than its average width. As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “substantially”, “generally” and variations thereof means and includes (i) completely, or 100%, of the referenced parameter, variable or value, and (ii) a range of values less than 100% based upon the typical, normal or expected degree of variation or error for the referenced parameter, variable or value in the context of the particular embodiment or use thereof, such as, for example, 90-100%, 95-100% or 98-100%.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-2, an embodiment of a normally-open backwater valve 10 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown. The illustrated valve 10 is configured to be fluidly coupled between one or more discharge conduits 18 of a building, or other location, and a sewage, or drainage, system 24 to allow fluid flow from the discharge conduit(s) 18 into the sewage, or drainage, system 24 and prevent fluid backflow from the sewage, or drainage, system 24 into the discharge conduit(s) 18. The valve 10 may have any suitable combination of components, form, configuration and operation. For example, the valve 10 may be similar in some respects to other normally-open backwater valves, such as the presently commercially available normally-open “Fullport Backwater Valve” by Mainline Backflow Products shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,972 to Coscorella et al., entitled “Backwater Valve” and issued on Apr. 18, 1995, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference herein in their entirety. In some embodiments, the valve 10 may include components manufactured by injection molding with one or more plastics, such as ABS and PVC.

In this embodiment, the valve 10 includes a valve body 28 and a horizontally-oriented, primary fluid flow passageway 34 extending therethrough. As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “horizontally-oriented” and variations thereof do not necessarily mean perfectly horizontal, but can be anywhere from perfectly horizontal to angled with an orientation that is more left-to-right and/or right-to-left than up-and-down (depending upon the particular situation and desired arrangement). The valve body 28 includes a horizontally-oriented, lower interior surface 58 disposed within the passageway 34.

Still referring to FIGS. 1-2, the exemplary passageway 34 may be formed in the valve body 28 and/or one or more fluid flow conduits extending therethrough or coupled thereto (e.g. conduit sections 30, 32). Thus, the actual configuration of components that form and surround the fluid flow passageway 34 is not limiting upon the present disclosure or the appended claims, except and only to the extent as may be expressly recited in a particular claim and only for that claim and any claims depending therefrom. As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “valve body” when used in the context of the “fluid flow passageway” means and includes whatever components of the valve 10 that form the fluid flow passageway 34.

The exemplary valve body 28 also includes an inlet port 40 to allow fluid flow from the discharge conduit(s) 18 into the fluid flow passageway 34 and an outlet port 44 to allow fluid flow from the fluid flow passageway 34 to the sewage, or drainage, system 24. In this embodiment, a valve cover 50 is shown coupled to the exemplary valve 10 over a horizontally- oriented access port, or opening, 52. If desired, the valve cover 50 may be selectively releasably coupled to the valve body 28 to allow access to the interior of the valve 10 or other desired purpose. For example, the cover 50 may be openable (e.g. by threadable engagement with the valve body 28) and/or removable. In some embodiments, the access port 52 and cover 50 may be sized and configured to permit ready access to and removal of a flapper 56 (e.g. as described below), such as for inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement or a combination thereof, to allow easy access to the fluid flow passageway 34, sewage, or drainage, system 24 and/or discharge conduit 18 through the valve 10 (without disassembly or removal of the valve 10) for inspection, cleanout, etc., for any other desired purpose or a combination thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-3, the exemplary valve 10 also includes a flapper 56 and at least one flapper seat 76. The illustrated flapper seat 76 is at least partially vertically-oriented and mounted in the valve body 28 in, or adjacent to, the fluid flow passageway 34 at least partially around an internal circumference 62 thereof. In some embodiments, the flapper seat 76 may include material that is durable and provides a good seal, such as elastomeric material. The exemplary flapper 56 includes an outer, side, or surface 68 and an inner, side, or surface 74, is pivotably, releasably, mounted in the valve body 28 and pivotably moveable between at least one open position and a closed position relative to the fluid flow passageway 34. In the open position(s), illustrated flapper 56 is positioned proximate to, or spaced upwardly from, the lower interior surface 58 of the valve body 28 to allow fluid flow through the passageway 34 in the flow direction 70 under normal or expected operating conditions. In the closed position, the exemplary flapper 56 is configured to contact, or fluidly sealing engage, the flapper seat 76 to disallow fluid flow through the passageway 34 (e.g. in the flow direction 72). As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “vertically-oriented” and variations thereof do not necessarily mean perfectly vertical, but can be anywhere from perfectly vertical to angled with an orientation that is more vertical than left-to-right and/or right-to-left (depending upon the particular situation and desired arrangement).

If desired, the flapper seat 76 may be angularly oriented. For example, the upper end 78 of the flapper seat 76 may be angled so that it is closer to the sewage, or drainage, system 24 than the lower end 79 thereof. This may be useful in some embodiments, for example, to decrease the distance of travel of the flapper 56 between its open and closed positions, encourage easier and more effective movement of the flapper 56 between open and closed positions, assist in securing the flapper 56 in sealing engagement with the flapper seat 76, allow for a tighter seal when flapper 56 is pressed against the flapper seat 76, allow gravity to assist movement of the flapper 56 to an open position from the closed position, such as when backflow subsides or stops, any other desired purpose or a combination thereof.

Still referring to FIGS. 2-3, the illustrated flapper 56 may be pivoitably mounted in the valve body 28 in any suitable manner. In this embodiment, as shown particularly in FIG. 3, the flapper 56 is pivotably coupled to the valve body 28 at at least one pivot point 59. For example, at least one removable hinge pin 60 may be coupled between the flapper 56 and valve body 28 (or other component therein) proximate to the lower edge 64 of the flapper 56 and which allows the flapper 56 to pivot relative to the valve body 28 between positions. If desired, the flapper 56 may be removable (e.g. by removal of the hinge pin 60) from the valve body 28, such as for repair, maintenance, replacement or any other purpose.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 2, if desired, the flapper 56 may be buoyant or otherwise configured so that it will easily float when fluid begins and continues to fill the passageway 34 in the proximity of the flapper 56 (e.g. moving in the direction 72). This may be desirable, for example, to encourage the flapper 56 to easily move from an open position to its closed position, such as during backflow of fluid from the sewage, or drainage, system 24, to help prevent the flapper 56 from becoming stuck in an open position, or for any other purpose.

For example, the flapper 56 may be hollow, have one or more internal cavities 82, be constructed of light-weight material (e.g. lighter than water), include one or more flotation-assistance components (e.g. closed-cell foam), or a combination thereof. In operation of some embodiments, backflow fluid will enter and at least partially fill the passageway 34 from the backwater direction 72. As the fluid rises in the valve body 28, the (e.g. hollow and/or lightweight) flapper 56 will easily rise until it is pressed against the flapper seat 76 by the weight of the fluid and form fluid tight seal, sealing off backflow through valve body 28.

Still referring to FIG. 2, in another independent aspect of the present disclosure, the flapper 56 may be constructed to reduce the likelihood that waste material will collect, hang-up or build-up on or around, or adhere to, the flapper 56, which may prevent the flapper 56 from freely moving between positions. As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “waste material” and variations thereof refer to debris, waste, organic or other sediment, residue, feces, biological material or any other material or living organisms which may be carried, grow or live in the fluid in or coming from the sewage, or drainage, system 24 or discharge conduit(s) 18.

For example, the outer side, or surface, 68 of the flapper 56 may be substantially planar or flat, eliminating places on the flapper 56 where waste material may stick or adhere, grow or get hung up or collect, particularly when the flapper 56 is in an open position. For other examples, the outer side, or surface, 68 may be smooth and/or constructed or coated with anti-stick material (e.g. Teflon or other PTFE coatings), discouraging the adherence or accumulation of waste material on the flapper 56. For yet another example, in some embodiments, the flapper 56 may be formed with no or minimal protrusions or components extending from or attached to the outer side, or surface, 68 of the flapper 56 (e.g. floatation-assistance components), eliminating places on the flapper 56 where waste material may stick or adhere, grow or get hung up or collect, particularly when the flapper 56 is in an open position.

If desired, the flapper 56 may be configured to be smaller than known prior art flappers 56, such as to improve ease of movement of the flapper 56 between positions and/or removal of the flapper 56 from the valve 10 for inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement etc. or any other desired purpose. For example, in some embodiments, as described above, the flapper 56 may be formed with no or minimal protrusions or components extending from or attached to the outer side, or surface, 68 of the flapper 56 (e.g. floatation-assistance components).

Referring specifically now to the embodiment of FIGS. 2-3, in another independent aspect of the present disclosure, at least one spacer 80 is shown associated with the exemplary flapper 56 and/or the lower interior surface 58 of the valve body 28 and configured to position the flapper 56 spaced upwardly, or suspended, above the lower interior surface 58 when the flapper 56 is in the open position(s). As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “suspend” and variations thereof, when used with regard to the “flapper”, mean substantially the entire flapper being spaced upwardly above, and not in contact with, the lower interior surface of the valve body.

The spacer(s) 80 may have any suitable form, components, configuration and operation. If desired, the spacer 80 may be configured not only to suspend the flapper 56, but also to allow the flapper 56 to vacillate between multiple open positions, such as in response to changes in fluid flow through the fluid flow passageway 34 or other stimulus. As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “vacillate” and variations thereof, when used with regard to the “flapper”, mean to allow the flapper to freely move up and down, float or flutter relative to the fluid flow passageway within an at least partially defined range of motion. For example, during the flow of fluid through the passageway 34 from the discharge conduit 18 in flow direction 70 during normal operation of the valve 10, the spacer 80 may be configured to allow the flapper 56 to freely move up and down above the spacer 80 in response to changes in the fluid flow rate thereby. The spacer 80 may allow the flapper 56 to vacillate for any desired purpose. For example, the occasional or continuous vacillation of the flapper 56 may serve a self-cleaning function, washing away waste material from around the flapper 56 or discouraging waste material from adhering to or collecting around the flapper 56. In some embodiments, the up and down vacillation of the flapper 56 may function as a pumping motion to clean away waste material. For example, as fluid enters the passageway 34 through the inlet port 40 in the flow direction 70, the entering fluid may run over the inner side 74 of the flapper 56. The weight of the fluid may push the flapper 56 down in the direction of the lower interior surface 58 until the spacer 80 forces the flapper 56 upwardly. The movement cycle can repeat itself on an ongoing basis due to changes in the flow rate of the fluid, the influence of gravity and/or other factors. In various embodiments, in the down motion part of the vacillation, fluid and waste material can be flushed out from below the outer surface 68 of the exemplary flapper 56. For another example, the occasional or continuous vacillation of the flapper 56 may help prevent the flapper 56 from becoming stuck in an open position.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the spacer 80 includes at least one flapper magnet, or magnetic material, 86 associated with the flapper 56 and at least one valve body magnet, or magnetic material, 90 associated with the lower interior surface 58 of the valve body 28 arranged so that their like poles (or magnetic forces) are facing each other when the flapper 56 approaches the lower interior surface 58. As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “magnetic material” and variations thereof mean and include ferromagnetic and ferromagnetic material and any other material that produces a magnetic field and could be used as described herein. Further, for the reader's convenience, as used herein and in the appended claims, in any instances where the term “magnet” is used without also mentioning the term “magnetic material”, the term “magnet” is intended to and should be construed to refer to and incorporate both one or more magnets and/or one or more magnetic materials. The exemplary magnets 86, 90 will thus repulse one another when the flapper 56 approaches the lower interior surface 58, preventing the flapper 56 from resting against the lower interior surface 58 and causing the flapper 56 to be suspended in the fluid flow passageway 34 when the flapper 56 is the open position(s). In some embodiments, the magnets 86, 90 may be configured to allow the flapper 56 to freely vacillate between its lowermost suspended position (spaced above the valve seat magnet(s) 90) and any number of higher “open” positions, such as due to changes in the flow of fluid moving through the valve body 28 in the direction 70, gravity and/or other factors on an ongoing or intermittent basis during normal operation of the valve 10.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the exemplary magnets 86, 90 may be associated with the flapper 56 and lower interior surface 58, respectively, in any suitable manner. For example, the magnets 86, 90 may be associated with the flapper 56 and lower interior surface 58 by being embedded or press-fit therein, with epoxy or one or more mechanical connectors, respectively. Also, any desired combination of multiple magnets 86, 90 may be used.

In this embodiment, the flapper magnet 86 is associated with the flapper 56 proximate to the upper edge 66 thereof and the valve body magnet 88 is associated with the lower interior surface 58 in at least partial alignment with the flapper magnet 86 when the flapper 56 is proximate to the lower interior surface 58. In other embodiments, the flapper magnet 86 may be spaced farther away from the upper edge 66 of the flapper 56, or multiple magnets 86 may be used at different locations on the flapper 56, and one or more valve body magnets 88 correspondingly located on, or in, the lower interior surface 58.

In some embodiments, one or more flapper magnets 86 may be positioned relative to the flapper 56 so that a particular pole, or magnetic force, thereof is accessible generally from each respective side 68, 74 of the flapper 56. For example, the north pole of a single flapper magnet 86 may face downwardly (and effectively oppose the upwardly-facing north pole of the valve body magnet 88) and the south pole of the same flapper magnet 86 face in the opposite direction (toward the flapper seat 76) and be generally accessible from the inner side 74 of the flapper 56, or vice versa. In other embodiments, multiple flapper magnets 86 may be associated with the flapper 56 so that a particular pole, or magnetic force, of at least one magnet 86 faces and is accessible downwardly and a particular pole, or magnetic force, of at least one magnet 86 faces and is accessible upwardly. If desired, the flapper magnet(s) 86 may be associated with the flapper 56 to extend off the top edge 66 thereof to provide access to one or more poles thereof on each side 68, 74 of the flapper 56.

A few other exemplary embodiments of spacers 80 are shown in FIGS. 4-7. In FIGS. 4-6, the illustrated spacer 80 includes at least one spring 100 biased between the outer side 68 of the flapper 56 and the lower interior surface 58 of the valve body 28 when the flapper 56 is in at least one open position. One or more of any desired version of spring 100 (or other spacer 80) may be coupled to either the flapper 56 (e.g. on its outer side 68 and/or proximate to its upper edge 66), and/or the lower interior surface 58. In many embodiments, the spring(s) 100 cause the flapper 56 to be suspended in the fluid flow passageway 34 when the flapper 56 is the open position(s). In some embodiments, the spring(s) 100 may be configured to allow the flapper 56 to freely vacillate between its lowermost suspended position (biased upwardly by the spring(s) 100) and any number of higher “open” positions, such as due to changes in the flow of fluid moving through the valve body 28 in the direction 70, gravity and/or other factors on an ongoing or intermittent basis during normal operation of the valve 10. In various embodiments, during normal or expect use of the valve 10, as fluid moves through the valve body 28 in the direction 70 on an ongoing or intermittent basis, the flapper 56 may effectively bounce off of the lower interior surface 58 via the spring(s) 100, causing, encouraging or allowing the flapper 56 to vacillate.

The spring(s) 100 may have any desired shape, configuration, components and operation. In FIG. 4, the exemplary spring 100 is a “V” or “see-saw” shaped spring 102. The illustrated spring 102 is coupled to and biased against the lower interior surface 58 so that its upwardly extending leg 103 is biased upwardly and provides upward biasing forces upon the flapper 56 when the flapper 56 moves downwardly toward the lower interior surface 58.

In FIG. 5, the exemplary spring 100 is an elongated spring 104 that provides upward biasing forces upon the flapper 56. For example, the spring 104 may be coupled to, or extending from, the outer surface 68 of the flapper 56 at one end 105 so that its other end 107 comes in contact with (biasingly contacts) the lower interior surface 58 of the valve body 28 when the flapper 56 moves downwardly toward the lower interior surface 58. If desired, the spring 104 may instead be coupled to, or extend from, the lower interior surface 58 (e.g. at end 107) and not the flapper 56, but have the same effect. In FIG. 6, the illustrated spring 100 is a coil, or helical, spring 106 shown coupled to, or extending from, the outer surface 68 of the flapper 56. In other embodiments, the spring 106 may instead be coupled or extend from to the lower interior surface 58 and not the flapper 56. If desired, the coil, or helical, spring 106 may be at least partially surrounded by a shell, or cover, 108, such as to provide an outer smooth surface, reducing the likelihood of waste material accumulating around or in, or adhering, to the spring 106 or other desired purpose.

Now referring to FIG. 7, another example of a spacer 80 useful in some embodiments includes at least one plug 96 configured to prevent the flapper 56 from contacting the lower interior surface 58. One or more plugs 96 may be coupled to the flapper 56 and/or the lower interior surface 58 of the valve body 28. In this embodiment, a single plug 96 constructed at least partially of elastomeric or other plastic or rubber material is shown coupled to the flapper 56. In many embodiments, the plug 96 causes the flapper 56 to be suspended in the fluid flow passageway 34 when the flapper 56 is the open position(s). In some embodiments, the plug 96 may be configured to allow the flapper 56 to freely vacillate between its lowermost suspended position (biased upwardly by the plug 96) and any number of higher “open” positions, such as due to changes in the flow of fluid moving through the valve body 28 in the direction 70, gravity and/or other factors on an ongoing or intermittent basis during normal operation of the valve 10. In various embodiments, during normal or expect use of the valve 10, as fluid moves through the valve body 28 in the direction 70 on an ongoing or intermittent basis, the flapper 56 may effectively bounce off of the lower interior surface 58 via the plug 96, causing, encouraging or allowing the flapper 56 to vacillate.

Referring back to the embodiment of FIG. 2, in another independent aspect of the present disclosure, the valve 10 may include least one flapper seat magnet, or magnetic material, 110 associated with the valve body 28 proximate to the flapper seat 76 and arranged so that opposing poles, or magnetic forces, of one or more flapper seat magnet 110 and one or more flapper magnet 86 face (and at least partially align with) each other so they will attract to one another when the flapper 56 is approaching, and in, its closed position. This feature may be included for any desired reason, such as to help move to flapper 56 into its closed position and/or secure the flapper 56 in sealing engagement with the flapper seat 76 in the closed position.

If desired, the flapper seat magnet(s) 110 may attract to the same one or more flapper magnets 86 that oppose the valve body magnet(s) 90 such as previously described, or one or more other flapper magnets 86.

The exemplary flapper seat magnet(s) 110 may be associated with the valve body 28 proximate to the flapper seat 76 in any suitable manner. For example, the magnet(s) 110 may be embedded or press-fit into the flapper seat 76 or adjacent structure, or coupled thereto with epoxy or one or more mechanical connectors, or a combination thereof. Also, any desired combination of multiple magnets 110 may be used. If desired, the flapper seat magnet 110 may be coupled to the upper end 78 of the flapper seat 76.

Having thus described in detail a preferred selection of embodiments of the present invention, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the claimed inventions being indicated by the appended claims, respectively, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure thus offer advantages over the prior art and are well adapted to carry out one or more of the objects of this disclosure. However, the present disclosure does not require each of the components and acts described above and is in no way limited to the above-described embodiments or methods of operation. Any one or more of the above components, features and processes may be employed in any suitable configuration without inclusion of other such components, features and processes. Moreover, the present disclosure includes additional features, capabilities, functions, methods, uses and applications that have not been specifically addressed herein but are, or will become, apparent from the description herein, the appended drawings and claims.

The methods that may be described above or claimed herein and any other methods which may fall within the scope of the appended claims can be performed in any desired suitable order and are not necessarily limited to any sequence described herein or as may be listed in the appended claims. Further, the methods of the present disclosure do not necessarily require use of the particular embodiments shown and described herein, but are equally applicable with any other suitable structure, form and configuration of components.

While exemplary embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described, many variations, modifications and/or changes of the system, apparatus and methods of the present disclosure, such as in the components, details of construction and operation, arrangement of parts and/or methods of use, are possible, contemplated by the patent applicant(s), within the scope of any appended claims, and may be made and used by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or teachings of the disclosure and scope of this disclosure and any appended claims. Thus, all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative, and the scope of the disclosure and any appended claims should not be limited to the embodiments described and shown herein. 

1. A normally-open backwater valve fluidly coupled between one or more discharge conduits of a building, or other location, and a sewage, or drainage, system to allow fluid flow from the discharge conduit(s) into the sewage, or drainage, system and prevent fluid backflow from the sewage, or drainage, system into the discharge conduit(s), the normally-open backwater valve comprising: a valve body having a horizontally-oriented fluid flow passageway configured to be fluidly coupled to the discharge conduit(s) and the sewage, or drainage, system, said valve body including a horizontally-oriented lower interior surface and at least one at least partially vertically-oriented flapper seat disposed within said fluid flow passageway; a flapper pivotably coupled to said valve body within said fluid flow passageway, said flapper being moveable between at least one open position and a closed position, said flapper in said at least one open position being positioned proximate to and spaced upwardly from said lower interior surface of said valve body and allowing fluid flow through said fluid flow passageway, said flapper in said closed position being in contact with at least one said flapper seat to disallow fluid flow through said fluid flow passageway; and at least one spacer associated with at least one among said flapper and said lower interior surface of said valve body and configured to position said flapper proximate to and spaced upwardly above said lower interior surface of said valve body when said flapper is in said at least one open position.
 2. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 1 wherein said at least one spacer includes at least one flapper magnet, or magnetic material, associated with said flapper and at least one valve body magnet, or magnetic material, associated with said lower interior surface of said valve body, said flapper magnet, or magnetic material, and said valve body magnet, or magnetic material, being arranged so that their like poles, or magnetic forces, are facing each other and will repulse one another to suspend said flapper in spaced relationship above said lower interior surface when said flapper is in said at least one open position.
 3. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 2 further including at least one hinge pin associated with said flapper and configured to allow said flapper to move between at least one open position and said closed position, said flapper having a lower edge disposed proximate to said at least one hinge pin and an upper edge disposed farthest from said at least one hinge pin, further wherein said flapper magnet, or magnetic material, is coupled to said flapper proximate to said upper edge of said flapper and said valve body magnet, or magnetic material, is coupled to said lower interior surface of said valve body.
 4. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 2 further including at least one flapper seat magnet, or magnetic material, associated with said valve body proximate to said flapper seat and arranged so that opposing poles, or magnetic forces, of said flapper magnet, or magnetic material, and said flapper seat magnet, or magnetic material, face each other and attract to one another when said flapper is in said closed position.
 5. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 4 further including at least one hinge pin associated with said flapper and configured to allow said flapper to move between at least one open position and said closed position, said flapper having a lower edge disposed proximate to said at least one hinge pin and an upper edge disposed farthest from said at least one hinge pin, further wherein said flapper seat includes a lower end disposed proximate to said at least one hinge pin and an upper end disposed farthest from said at least one hinge pin, further wherein said flapper magnet, or magnetic material, is coupled to said upper edge of said flapper and said flapper seat magnet, or magnetic material, is coupled to said upper end of said flapper seat.
 6. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 1 wherein said at least one spacer is configured to allow said flapper to freely vacillate between multiple said open positions in response to one or more changes in the flow of fluid through said fluid flow passageway.
 7. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 1 wherein said flapper is hollow and configured to be buoyant.
 8. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 7 wherein said flapper includes an inner surface configured to be proximate to or at least partially in contact with said flapper seat when said flapper is in said closed position and an outer surface configured to be proximate to said lower interior surface of said valve body when said flapper is in said at least one open position, further wherein said outer surface of said flapper is substantially planar and has no protrusions extending therefrom or components coupled thereto.
 9. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 7 wherein said outer surface of said flapper is smooth and said flapper is not equipped with any floatation-assistance components.
 10. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 7 wherein said outer surface of said flapper is coated with at least one anti-stick material or constructed at least partially of at least one anti-stick material to assist in preventing waste material from adhering thereto.
 11. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 1 wherein said at least one spacer includes at least one plug coupled to at least one among said flapper and said lower interior surface of said valve body.
 12. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 11 wherein said at least one plug is elastomeric.
 13. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 1 wherein said at least one spacer includes at least one spring coupled to at least one among said flapper and said lower interior surface of said valve body.
 14. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 13 wherein said at least one spring has a “V” or “see-saw” shape.
 15. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 13 wherein said at least one spring includes at least one elongated spring.
 16. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 13 wherein said at least one spring includes at least one helical or coil spring.
 17. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 16 wherein said at least one helical or coil spring is at least partially surrounded by a cap.
 18. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 1 wherein said flapper is pivotably coupled to said valve body at at least one pivot point, further wherein said flapper seat includes a lower end disposed proximate to said at least one pivot point and an upper end disposed farthest from said at least one pivot point, further wherein said flapper seat is angularly oriented so that said upper end thereof is closer to the sewage or drainage system and said lower end thereof is closer to the discharge conduit(s).
 19. The normally-open backwater valve of claim 18 wherein said valve body further includes a horizontally-oriented opening above said fluid flow passageway and a selectively releasable cover disposed over said opening and moveable between at least one open position and at least one closed position, further wherein said opening and said cover are sized to allow the removal of said flapper therethrough for maintenance, repair or replacement when said cover is in at least one said open position.
 20. A normally-open backwater valve fluidly coupled between one or more discharge conduits of a building, or other location, and a sewage, or drainage, system to allow fluid flow from the discharge conduit(s) into the sewage, or drainage, system and prevent fluid backflow from the sewage, or drainage, system into the discharge conduit(s), the normally-open backwater valve comprising: a valve body having a horizontally-oriented fluid flow passageway configured to be fluidly coupled to the discharge conduit(s) and the sewage, or drainage, system, said valve body including a horizontally-oriented lower interior surface and at least one at least partially vertically-oriented flapper seat disposed within said fluid flow passageway; a flapper pivotably coupled to said valve body within said fluid flow passageway, said flapper being moveable between at least one open position and a closed position, said flapper in said at least one open position being positioned proximate to and spaced upwardly from said lower interior surface of said valve body and allowing fluid flow through said fluid flow passageway, said flapper in said closed position being in contact with at least one said flapper seat to disallow fluid flow through said fluid flow passageway; and at least one flapper magnet, or magnetic material, associated with said flapper and at least one valve body magnet, or magnetic material, associated with said lower interior surface of said valve body, said flapper magnet, or magnetic material, and said valve body magnet, or magnetic material, being arranged so that their like poles, or magnetic forces, are facing each other and will repulse one another to suspend said flapper in spaced relationship above said lower interior surface when said flapper is in said at least one open position. 